Acoustical assembly



Nov. 16, 1943.

AcoUsTIcAL ASSEMBLY Filed July e, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Nov.16, 1943. q, Y, D UNBAR 2,334,484

ACOUSTICAL ASSEMBLY Filed July 6, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY uw C. 632.

ATTORNEY Nov. 16,1943. .1. Y. DUNBAR 2,334,484

v y ACOUSTICAL ASSEMBLY Filed July e, 195s s sheets-sheet s .s Y.Daf/V89@ BY 51ml@ ATTORNEY A u? i l hlillllllllllllll Patented Nav. 16,1943 l 2,334,484

UNITED STATESy PATENT OFFICE y Acous'rioAL ASSEMBLY rJames Y, Dunbar,New York, N. Y., assgnor to; Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of NewYork Application July 6, 1939, Serial No.282,961 19 claims. (C1. 18e-85).

The present invention relates to acoustical said means in a similarmanner to the acoustical assemblies, and particularly to lighting unitsto units. The lighting fixtures include leads for be employed therein.connection to electrical outlets placed at accessi- An acousticaltreatment' for walls, such as ceilble locations above the treatment. Thelighting ings, and the like which has achieved outstanding fixtures maybe substituted in any desired arcommercial success is disclosed inpatent to Norris rangement for acoustical panels and may be re- No.1,726,500, issued AugustvZ'l, 1929, the treatarranged as often asdesired to obtain advanment including a. perforated facing element.betageous lighting ofA a room. Thus, a construchnd which is disposed asound-absorbing metion in accordance with the invention permits dium.The facing element; preferably takes the a concentration of the lightingfixtures as may fOrm Of a plurality of metal pans including ver- 'bedesired upon one occasion and the rearrangetical edges supported fromthe wall, the pans ment or distribution of the same as may berecontaining individual fibrous sound-absorbing quired upon'another.pads. The facing elements lie in substantially the My invention will bemore fully understood and same piane and form the visual wall of theroom further objects and' advantages thereof will ben to which thetreatment is applied, come apparent when reference is made to the Priorto the instant invention'lighting fixtures more detailed descriptionthereof which is to of conventional type` have been employed with followand to the accompanying drawings, in

acousticaltreatments as described above, such which lightingfixturesnormally being affixed to the Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a PartiallOOm inner ceiling or other base member and passing. interior, includinga combined acoustical treatthrough the acoustical treatment. Theconvenment vand lighting means in accordance with the tional types offixtures have not-however, prepresent invention; sented the flexibilityof arrangement@` uniformity1 y Fig'. 2 is a perspective view with partsbroken of appearance, and other features desired. 525 away lookingdownwardly' upon' the acoustical An object ofthe instant invention istotprgvide treatment 'andv lighting means of the room of an acousticalsystemvincluding lightingr units as F18 l; s aunitary part thereof. Fig.3` is a sectional view tal-xenon the line A; :Another object oftheinvention isltheprovision i3---3 0f Fig- 1;

V0f Lan acoustical construction,particularly of the Y 1 .4 is a faceview of assembled racoustical type afs .disclosed-in the` Norris.,patentrefer'ree land lightingunits ofthe presentinvention;

struction of the' presentinvention; f

ing unitjof the'lpreseirt invention? f' a perspeetiveview of -a'amhfbar'm;

le u

" tending@ attaching members bi'siilse'exparticularlyIig.

T.bars are formed of any suitable light gauge metal. o

' The acoustical treatment comprises a plurality of shallow metal pansincluding upstanding side walls having an integral bead 24. Each pancontains a pad 22 of a suitable sound-absorbing material such as mineralwool or the like. The lower or outer faces of the pans lie insubstantially the same plane and form the visual surface of the ceilingor wall to which the treatment is applied. In the assembly of theacoustical units in the conventional manner, the beads 24 carried by thewalls at the ends of the pans are forced or snapped into place betweenthe lips I8 of the T-bars, whereby the units are securely but readilyremovably held in position. At the present time, the pans are commonlyof a length substantially twice their Width and are suitably demarked bya transverse indentation or groove midwa'y of their length on theirouter face (see Fig. 4) to simulate two substantially square units.

As will be understood, the center-to-center spacing of the T-bars willbe equal to the lengths of the pans employed.

In accordance with the instant invention, means are provided to supporta member including a lighting ilxture in place of any one of the units20. The lighting xture may occupy the entire area previously occupied byan acoustical unit or only a portion thereof. Referring particularly toFigs. 3 and 4, a construction is illustrated in which elongatedacoustical units are' employed, namely, those which are substantiallytwice as long as they are wide and are divided by a groove to simulatetwo adjacent square units or tiles as previously referred to. Suitably,the lighting ixture takes the place of one of such simulated squareunits.

The lighting fixture comprises, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, a frame 30formed of angle members or the like of suilicient length to extendbetween and to partially overlap the bases I4 'of adjacent T-bars. Theframe includes lugs 32 adaptedv to be bent around the edges of theT-bar'bases I4 to securely maintain the frame in position (seeparticularly Fig. 3)". It will be understood that the frame 30 is madeof a relatively lightweight metal or the like and the lugs 32 orequivalent means are readily bendable to permit the frame `to be easilysecured in and removed from its position on the T-bars. The frame 30carries an auxiliary short T-bar 34 located approximatelymidway betweenthe -ends of the frame. The T-bar 34 mayA rest loosely on the horizontalflanges of the longitudinal frame members or may be secured thereto bywelding or the like. T-bar 34 carries a positioning lug 38 which maysuitably comprise an'angle piece having one flange welded, riveted, orotherwise secured to the base ange oi.' the T-bar.

A member, comprising a reflector or the like 38 and a bulb socket orsimilar means (not shown), is carried by the frame member and shortT-bar 34, the reflector abutting againstthe upright flanges of the frameand the positioning lug 38, /whereby the same is retained in properposition against 'sliding movement. Each ofthe lighting members includesan electric cable 48 and a plug 42 to be connected in an outlet 44 (seeparticularly Fig. 2). The outlets 44 are located' in one or moresuitable places above the acoustical treatment, whereby the same may beavailable for plugging in lighting fixtures wherever located.

`tical members 48 carry abutment members 54 for securing the lens 52 inposition within the lens frame. One wall 48 carries a hinge 56 having aleaf ,58- secured by welding or the like to the wall and the other leafS0 extending substantially the height of the frame and including alocking bead 62, similar to or the same as that carried by the ilangesof the acoustical pans previously referred to. The wall 48 of the lensframe opposite to that carrying the hinge 56 has locking lugs 64 securedthereto by welding or the like (see particularly Figs. 6, 8, and 9).

A catch bar 'I0 is provided (see Fig. 7) comprising an upright ange I2and a base flange 14, the latter preferably being suitably reinforced,for example, by folding back the metal of the bar as shown. The catchbar includes notches 'I8 for cooperative interlocking engagement withthe members 54, as most clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The vuprightflange I2 of catch bar I0 includes an extending bead 'I8 similar to orthe same as that provided on the hinge 56 and the iianges of theacoustical pans.

In the assembly of an acoustical treatment including lighting ilxturesas a unitary portion thereof, in accordance with the instant invention,the acoustical pans 20, if previously mounted, are removed from thelocations where the lighting fixtures are desired. The removal isaccomplished in the conventional manner and requires merely the pullingdown of the pans to unsnap the beads on their flanges from the T-bars. Aframe member 38 is then inserted to overlie each location previouslyheld by an acoustical pan and is securedin position by bending the lugs32 around the edges of the base flanges I4 of the T-bars. The reflector38 is then placed in position with its edges conilned by the uprightflanges of the frame elements and the lug 36, and plug 42 connected toan adjacent outlet 44. An acoustical unit 82, substantially similar inevery detail to the conventional Aunits except that it is made of alength to correspond to the distance between the T-bar I2 and the shortT-bar 34, is inserted as illustrated in F18. 3. Catch bar III is snappedinto position with its bead 12 engaging a lip oi the short T-bar 34, andleaf of hinge 58 is similarly inserted in the conventional fixed T-barI2 (see Fig. 3). If desired, the positions of the lens frame and catchbar may be reversed, the hinge leaf 63 being inserted in the T-bar 34and the catch bar in the T-bar I2. An electric `bulb or other lightingmeans, if not previously inserted, may then be screwed into the socket(not shown) within the reflector 38 and the lens member swung upwardlyon its hinge until the snap members 84 cooperate with the notches 18 inthe catch bar to secure the'lens in closed position. The lens may bereadily opened at any time for replacing the electric bulb or the like,by pressing inwardly on the catches 44 through the notches 13 of thecatch bar, as will be readily understood from an examination o! Fig. 9.

The construction in aordanee with the invention as described abovepermits the positioning o! the lighting fixtures in any desiredarrangement.

fixtures merely requires the removal of the lem frame 48 and of theacoustical unit 82, and dilconnection and removal of the reflector unit38 and frame 30. All this can be readily done without any great degreeof care or skill. The conventional acoustical unit is then removed fromthe location where the lighting unit is to be inserted and the lightingunit assembled in position as previously described, the acoustical unitbeing snapped into position in the location formerly occupied by thelighting unit.

As shown in Fig. 10, the lighting fixture may occupy the entire spacebetween the conventional fixed T-bars if desired. rhis construction maybe employed, for example, if square, rather than the two elementsimulating acoustical units, are employed, or if a relatively largelighting fixture is desired. The construction disclosed in Fig. issimilar to that previously described, except that the lighting unit andreflector occupy the entire space within the frame 84, the short T-barbeing not required. The lens frame and catch bar are preferably of thesame types as those previously described.

An acoustical construction in accordance with the invention, in additionto having the ad- Y vantages of ready arrangement and rearrangement ofthe lighting units, exhibits the further feature of uniformity inappearance of the ceiling or wall to which the treatment is applied andthe elimination of projections from the treatment. As a result, a veryattractive ceiling or wall construction is obtained, together with anarrangement of lighting as may be desired for any particular use oroccasion. The lighting fixtures may be made of any size desired andmaybe made, for example, to occupy the space Where any number of acousticalunits are normally employed. Also, any desired arrangement may be i'employed to provide ornamental effects such as bars or rows of lightingfixtures or to direct the light to any part of a room.

If desired, types of lighting may be employed other than theconventional reflector and bulb described. Thus, for example, fixturesmaybe employed which are wholly contained within the lens frame, with aresulting simplicity of construction and a reduction in the number ofparts required.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it will beunderstood thatthese details need not `be strictly adhered to, but thatvarious changes and modifications will suggest themselves to one skilledin the art, all falling Within the scope of the invention as defined bythe subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A partition comprising a base, a plurality of supporting barssuspended therefrom, said bars lying in substantially parallelrelationship to one another, a plurality of interchangeable unitsdetachably supported by said bars and bridging the spaces therebetween,certain of said units comprising pan-like members and a sound-absorbentfiller therefor, and others of -said units including a lighting fixturecarrying a source of illumination and comprising an inverted reflector,said fixture having a substantially uninterrupted light transmissionzone underlying the reliector and a lens coextensive with said zone.

2. A partition comprising a base, a plurality of T-bars suspended fromsaid base and lying in substantial parallelism to one another, aplurality of perforated pan-like members containing a sound-absorbentpad detachably supported from said T-bars and bridging the spacestherebetween, and units interpersed with said pan-like' members and eachincluding a lighting fixture carrying a source of illumination, thelighting fixture including an inverted reflector and having asubstantially uninterrupted light transmission zone underlying thereflector, said units being detachably supported by said T-bars.

3. A partition comprising a base, a plurality of T-bars suspended fromsaid basel and lying in substantial parallelism to one another, aplurality of perforated pan-like members containing a sound-absorbentfiller supported from said T-bars and bridging the spaces therebetween,and units interspersed with said pan-like members and each including aframe supported on said T-bars, a short T-bar carried by said frame, apan-like member including a sound-absorbent filler supported from one ofsaid first-mentioned T-bars and said last-mentioned T-bar, and alighting fixture includinga lens member supported fromsaidlast-mentioned T-bar and another of said first-mentioned T-bars, and areflector supported by said frame.

4. A lighting fixture supported on substantially parallel supportingmembers of an acoustical treatment comprising a frame having oppositeends resting on spaced ones of said supporting members, asupporting`element carried by said frameand extending transversely thereof, areflector supported on said frame and a lens member including oppositeends detachably engaged with one of said supporting members and saidsupporting element, respectively.

5. A lighting fixture supported on substantially parallel supportingmembers of an acoustical ltreatment comprising a frame having oppositeends resting on spaced ones of said supporting members, a supportingelement carried by said frame and extending transversely thereof, areflector supported on said frame, means on said frame and saidsupporting element for maintaining said reflector against movement onsaid frame, an acoustical unit carried by said element and one of saidmembers and a lens member including 'means at opposite ends detachablyengaged with the other'of said supporting members and said supportingelement, respectively.

6. A lighting fixture supported on substantially parallel supportingmembers of an acoustical treatment comprising a frame having oppositeends resting on spaced ones of said supporting members, a supportingelement\carried by said frame and extending transverselyA thereof, oneof said supporting members and s'aid supporting -element defining asupporting means, and a lens reflector resting on said frame, and a lensmember detachably supported at opposite edges by one of said parallelsupporting members and said frame, respectively.

8. Allighting fixture supported from parallel supporting members of anacoustical treatment comprising a frame having opposite ends supportedon spaced ones of said supporting members, a reflector resting on saidframe, and a lens member having opposite ends interlockingly engagedwith said spaced ones of said supporting members.

9. A wall comprising a base and a facing therefor, said facingcomprising a. plurality of acoustical units and lighting fixtures, saidlighting fixtures including inverted reflectors and carrying a lightsource, said fixtures having substantially uninterrupted lighttransmission zones underlying said reflectors, said units and fixturesincluding outer faces lying in substantially a single plane, and meansincluding members suspended from said base for interchangeablysupporting said units and fixtures.

10. A wall comprising a base, a plurality of acoustical units andlighting fixtures forming a facing for said base, each of said lightingfixtures including an inverted reflector and carrying a light source,said fixtures having substantially uninterrupted light transmissionzones underlying said reflectors, means for supporting said units andfixtures including members supported from said base and means detachablyinterlocking said units and xtures to said members.

l1. A partition comprising a base, a supporting structure suspendedtherefrom, a facing comprising a plurality of acoustical units andlighting fixtures, each of said'lighting fixtures including an invertedreflector and carrying a light source, said fixtures havingsubstantially uninterrupted light transmission zones underlying saidreflectors, each of said units and xtures including attaching flanges,and means for detachably interlocking said flanges to said supportingstructure.

12. A combined ceiling and lighting appliance comprising a plurality ofxed parallel supporting elements each having a dependent clip, aplurality of rectangular tiles,^each having upwardly extending attachingmeans at opposite ends and receivable by the clips for detachablysecuring the tiles in place to form the dominant ceiling area in whichan opening without any tile may be had at any selected place in theceiling area, a frame spanning the supporting elements above theopening, a downwardly acting reflector supported by the frame above thelevel of the tiles, a light source in the reflector, a. lighttransmitting screen opposite the mouth of the reflector and disposedceiling, and screen `supporting means including a frame having on oneedge thereof attaching.

means cooperable with the clip of one of the supporting elements, anddevices for supporting theopposite edge of the screen supporting framefrom the reflector' supporting frame, the width of the screen supportingframe being equal to the width of a tile.

13. A combined ceiling and lighting appliance comprising a plurality ofilxed parallel supporting elements each having a dependent clip, aplurality of rectangular tiles, each having up- 'wardly extendingattaching means at .opposite ends and receivable by the clips fordetachablv securing the tiles in place to form the dominant ceiling areain which an opening without any tile may be had at any selected place inthe ceiling area, a frame spanning the supporting elements above theopening, a supplemental supporting element similar to and parallel withthe firstnamed supporting-'elements secured midway ot 1 the spanningframe to form two square openings,

a tile similar to the other tiles occupying one of the square openings.and similarly secured between adjacent supporting elements, adownsubstantially inthe plane of -the comprising a' plurality wardlyacting reector supported by the spanning frame over the second opening,a light source in the reflector, and a screen supporting means includinga frame having attaching means similar to those of the tiles andreceived in the clips at the opposite sides of the second opening.

14. The combination with a ceiling having fixed supports and a pluralityof interchangeable rectangular tile downwardly removable therefrom andnormally covering the entire surface of the ceiling, of a luminair,comprising a light source, adownwardly acting reflector, and a lighttransmitting screen opposite the mouth of the reflector, and luminairsupporting means comprising a rectangular screen supporting framedownwardly removably supported from the iixed supports, disposedsubstantially flush with the ceiling surface and of a size to occupy theentire width of the opening provided by the removal of a tile, and a,reflector support carried by the fixed supports and disposed above thesame.

15. In a tile ceiling having parallel dependent clips and tiles whoselength is twice the breadth supported at their ends from the clips byconcealed supporting elements and disposed about a rectangular opening,a frame spanning the opening and supported above the clips, a downwardlyacting reflector supported by the frame above the level of the tiles, alight source in the reflector, a rectangular frame insertible into saidopening and having on two opposite ends thereof clip cooperativeelements similar to those of the tile, and a light transmitting screensecured therein.

16. A wall comprising a basev and a facing therefor, said'facingcomprising a plurality of units and lighting fixtures, said lightingfixtures including inverted reflectors and carrying light sources saidfixtures having substantially uninterrupted light transmission zonesunderlying said reflectors, said units and xtures including outer faceslying in substantially a single plane, and means including memberssuspended from said base for interchangeably supporting said units andilxtures.

17. A ceiling or the like comprising a superstructure, a plurality ofparallel supporting bars spaced at modular intervals and suspendedtherefrom at a common level, a plurality of flat rectangular ceilingblock members of modularly related size bridging certain of the spacesbetween the supporting bars and detachably supported by the bars to forma facing in a single plane and leaving unoccupied certain other spacesof modularly related size, and supplemental members of modularly relatedsize occupying the space left vacant by the omission of one or moreceiling block members and including down lighting apparatus, saidapparatus carrying a light source and having an outer face, saidsupplemental members being detachably supported from said bars inposition to have their outer faces including the outer faces of thelighting apparatus lie in `substantially the single plane of the facing,all the members in their entirety concealing the barsand theirsuspension from the superstructure.

18. A combined ceiling and lighting appliance of nxed parallelsupporting elements each having a dependent clip, a. plurality ofrectangular tiles, each having upwardly extending attaching means atopposite ends and receivable by the clips for detachably securing thetiles in place to form the dominant ceiling area in which an openingwithout any tile may be had at any selected piace in the ceiling area, aframe spanning the supporting elements above the opening, a supplementalsupporting element similar to and parallel with the iirst namedsupporting elements secured midway of the spanning irameto form twosquare openings, a tile similar to the other tiles occupying one of thesquare openings and similarly secured between adjacent supportingelements. a downwardly acting reiiector supported by the spanning frameover the second opening, a light source in the reector, a screensupporting frame having attach ing means similar to those of the tilesand received in the clips at the opposite sides of the second opening, ahinged frame in the screen supporting frame, and a iat screen in thehinged Aframe which completely closes the opening.

i9. A partition comprising a base, a plurality of Tbars suspended fromsaid base and lying in substantial parallelism to one another, aplurality of block members supported from said T-bars and bridgingcertain of the spaces therebetween, and units interspersed with saidblock members and leach including a frame supported on said T-bars. ashort T-bar carried by said frame, a smaller block member supported fromone oi said first-mentioned Tbars and said last-mentioned T-bar, and alight controlling screen supported from said last-mentioned T-bar andanother of said mst-mentioned T-bars, and a reflector supported by saidframe above the screen.

JAMES Y. DUNBAR.

